Dr Robert Whiley, BSc; PhD

Senior Lecturer

Contact Details:

Rob Whiley was awarded a BSc (Hons) in Microbiology from the University of Leeds followed by a PhD from London University on the classification and diversity of the oral streptococci in 1987. In 1988 he obtained a post as Research Assistant in the Department of Oral Microbiology in the London Hospital Medical College followed by a lectureship in 1991. In 2001 he was appointed to Senior Lecturer in Oral Microbiology within the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences, Barts and The London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry. He has over 50 papers in the field of oral microbiology in peer reviewed journals. The majority of these focus on the oral or viridans streptococci of which he has described eight new species plus additional centres of genetic variation, virulence factors and disease associations. He was recently invited to contribute the Streptococcus and Streptococcaceae chapters for the forthcoming 2nd edition of  Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology.

Publications:

Key Publications

Whiley, R.A. and Hardie, J.M. (1989).  DNA-DNA hybridisation studies and phenotypic characteristics of strains within 'Streptococcus milleri-group'. J. Gen. Microbiol. 135: 2623-2633.

Whiley, R.A. and Beighton, D. (1991).  Emended descriptions of Streptococcus constellatus, Streptococcus intermedius and Streptococcus anginosus as distinct species.  Int. J. Syst. Bact. 41: 1-5.

Whiley, R.A., Beighton, D., Winstanley, T.G., Fraser, H.Y. and Hardie, J.M. (1992).  Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus constellatus and Streptococcus anginosus (the Streptococcus milleri-group): Association with different body sites and clinical infections.  J. Clin. Microbiol. 30: 243-244.

Hall, L.M.C., Whiley, R.A., Duke, B., George, R., and Efstratiou, A. (1996). Genetic    relatedness within and between serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae from the United Kingdom: analysis of   multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis,     and antimicrobial resistance patterns. J. Clin. Microbiol. 34: 853-859.

Nagamune, H., Ohnishi, C., Katsuura, A., Fushitani, K., Whiley, R.A., Tsuji, A., and     Matsuda, Y. (1996). Intermedilysin, a novel cytotoxin specific for human cells, secreted by    Streptococcus     intermedius UNS46 isolated from a human liver abscess. Infect. Imm.64: 3093-3100.

Whiley, R.A., Hall, L.M.C., Hardie, J.M., and Beighton,D. (1997). Genotypic and     phenotypic diversity     within Streptococcus anginosus. Int. J. System. Bacteriol. 47:  645 - 650.

Whiley, R.A., Hall, L.M.C., Hardie, J.M., and Beighton, D. (1999). A study of small colony    b-haemolytic, Lancefield group C streptococci within the anginosus group: description of Streptococcus     constellatus subsp. pharyngis subsp. nov., associated with the human throat and pharyngitis. Int. J. System. Bacteriol. 49: 1443-1449.

Nagamune, H., Whiley, R.A., Maeda, T.G., Inai, Y., Hardie, J.M., and Kourai, H. (2000).    Distribution of the intermedilysin gene among the anginosus group streptococci and    correlation between intermedilysin production and deep-seated infection by Streptococcus intermedius. J.Clin. Microbiol. 38: 220-226.

Macey, M.G., R.A. Whiley, L. Miller and H. Nagamune. 2001. Effect on polymorphonuclear cell function of a human-specific cytotoxin, intermedilysin, expressed by Streptococcus intermedius. Infect. Immun. 69: 6102-6109.

A. Sukeno, H. Nagamune, R.A. Whiley, S.I. Jafar, J. Aduse-Opoku, K. Ohkura, T. Maeda, K.Hirota, Y. Miyake and H. Kourai. 2005. Intermedilysin is essential for the invasion of hepatoma HepG2 cells by Streptococcus intermedius. Microbiol. Immunol. 49 (7): 681-694.

Publications since 2001

Homer, KA., Roberts, G., Byers, HL., Tarelli, E., Whiley, RA., Philpott-Howard, J. and Beighton, D. (2001). Mannosidase production by viridans streptococci. J Clin Microbiol 39: 995-1001.

Macey, M.G., R.A. Whiley, L. Miller and H. Nagamune. 2001. Effect on polymorphonuclear cell function of a human-specific cytotoxin, intermedilysin, expressed by Streptococcus intermedius. Infect. Immun. 69: 6102-6109.

Whatmore, A.M. and R.A. Whiley. 2002. Re-evaluation of the taxonomic position of Streptococcus ferus. Int. J. System. Evol. Microbiol. 52: 1783-1787.

Okazaki, N., R. Osawa, R. Suzuki, T. Nikkawa and R.A. Whiley. 2003. Novel observation of hot-cold-hot hemolysis exhibited by group B streptococci. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 877-879.

Sasaki, E., R. Osawa, Y. Nishitani and R.A. Whiley. 2004. Development of a diagnostic PCR assay targeting the Mn-dependent superoxide dismutase gene (sodA) for identification of Streptococcus gallolyticus. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 1360-1362.

Sasaki, E., R. Osawa, Y. Nishitani and R. Whiley. 2004. ARDRA and RAPID analyses of human and animal isolates of Streptococcus gallolyticus. J. Vet. Med. Sci. 66: 1467-1470.

Hall, L.M.C., S.C. Fawell, X. Shi, M-C. Faray-Kele, J. Aduse-Opoku, R.A. Whiley and M.A. Curtis. 2005. Sequence diversity and antigenic variation at the rag locus of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Infection & Immunity 73 (7): 4253 -4262.

A. Sukeno, H. Nagamune, R.A. Whiley, S.I. Jafar, J. Aduse-Opoku, K. Ohkura, T. Maeda, K.Hirota, Y. Miyake and H. Kourai. 2005. Intermedilysin is essential for the invasion of hepatoma HepG2 cells by Streptococcus intermedius. Microbiol. Immunol. 49 (7): 681-694.

Xiaoju Shi, Shirley A Hanley, Marie-Claire Faray-Kele, Stuart C Fawell, Joseph Aduse-Opoku, Robert A Whiley, Michael A Curtis, and Lucinda M C Hall. The rag locus of Porphyromonas gingivalis contributes to virulence in a murine model of soft tissue destruction. Infect. Immun. 2007 : IAI.01785-06v1 (Paper currently available on-line ahead of journal  printed publication)

Research interests:

Research interests centre on studying the diversity of oral bacteria, particularly the oral streptococci, at species and strain levels employing molecular approaches. These studies have included research into the Anginosus species group and have revealed three distinct species with differing proclivities for causing purulent infections at different deep-seated and superficial body sites. Research in collaboration with Tokushima University, Japan and the Department of Haematology here at Barts and The London has focused on one member species, Streptococcus intermedius. These collaborations have helped determine the previously unrecognized association of S. intermedius with abscesses at deep-seated body sites, in particular brain and liver abscesses and the role of a human-specific cytotoxin, Intermedilysin (ILY), expressed only by this bacterium, in the pathogenesis of these infections. Current work on this bacterium centres on ILY activity and it’s effects on neutrophils and other potential host target cells (oral epithelial, endothelial and neuronal cells) examining susceptibility to lysis and damage as well as modulation of cell signalling at sublethal concentrations.
The detection of Anginosus group streptococci in head and neck carcinoma and other tumours by both PCR and microbiological isolation indicate that further research in this area with colleagues is a potentially fruitful field.

Other areas of interest include studying the ability of Candida albicans to colonise and form a biofilm on denture soft-lining materials and the use of novel methods of disinfection including photoactivated disinfection for cleaning denture.

In collaboration with Dr. Lucinda Hall and Professor Mike Curtis a recent study has been undertaken of a strongly immunogenic and antigenically diverse antigen Rag present in the Gram-negative, anaerobic periodontopathogenic species Porphyromonas gingivalis. This antigen has been found to be diverse and is hypothesized to be relevant to the role of P. gingivalis in periodontal disease.

He has been a member of the International Taxonomic Subcommittee for Staphylococci and Streptococci since 1992 and Secretary from 1996 to present. He is currently a member of the Dental Sciences Research Steering Committee at Queen Mary.

Teaching contributions include convening the BDS Human Health & Disease Module (Pathology and Related Subjects), being a Senior Examiner for BDS Part 2 and lecturing to BDS students as well as on several MSc and Diploma courses both at Queen Mary and externally. He is a member of the Higher Learning Academy.